Mass separator

ABSTRACT

A fluid mixture is separated into constituents having the same physical and/or chemical nature which were intimately mixed in the mixture, in pipes where wave phenomena occur and into which pulses of the mixture are alternately directed, a mixture enriched with the heavy constituent being collected at the inlet of the pulsating pipes and a mixture enriched with the light constituent being collected at the outlet. A conduit for supplying a continuous flow of the fluid mixture to be separated is connected to pipes disposed in extension of the supply conduit, means being provided for converting the continuous supply flow into fluid pulses which are introduced into the pipes where they produce pulsatory phenomena; the inlet zone of these pipes is connected to a chamber for sampling the heavy constituent while their output zone is connected to a chamber for sampling the light constituent.

United States Patent 1 Marchal et al.

[ 1 July 31, 1973 MASS SEPARATOR [75] Inventors: Philippe AlbertHippolyte Marchal,

Boulogne; Jacques Louis Paul Simonnet, Gif-sur-Yvette; GeorgesMordchelles Regnier, Neauphle-Le-Chateau; Jean Prudent Fernand ReneVerrien, Paris, all of France [73] Assignee: Bertin & Cie and Entreprisede Recherches et DActivities Petrolieres-ELF, Paris, France [22] Filed:Aug. 5, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 61,213

9/1960 Becker 1. 55/17 1/1967 Lucas 55/17 5 7 ABSTRACT A fluid mixtureis separated into constituents having the same physical and/or chemicalnature which were intimately mixed in the mixture, in pipes where wavephenomena occur and into which pulses of the mixture are alternatelydirected, a mixture enriched with the heavy constituent being collectedat the inlet of the pulsating pipes and a mixture enriched with thelight constituent being collected at the outlet. A conduit for supplyinga continuous flow of the fluid mixture to be separated is connected topipes disposed in extension of the supply conduit, means being providedfor converting the continuous supply flow into fluid pulses which areintroduced into the pipes where they produce pulsatory phenomena; theinlet zone of these pipes is connected to a chamber for sampling theheavy constituent while their output zone is connected to a chamber forsampling the light constituent.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MASS SEPARATOR This invention relates to theseparation of a fluid mixture (usually but not necessarily a naturalmixture) into constituents, by a method which takes advantage of thespecific volumetric weights of the constituents. The aim of theinvention is to perform the separation under operating conditions whichare much simpler and less laborious than conventional methods of massseparation such as those involving the use of centrifuges, massspectrometers and the like.

According to the invention, constitutents of a fluid mixture areseparated by means producing flows in which wave phenomena occur. Suchmeans are known for other applications which are quite unrelated to massseparation, e.g. thermal applications such as the production of cold.

Means for working such thermal applications have been described inFrench Pat. No. 1.540.320 dated Mar. 1, 1967 and in US Pat. applicationsNo. 757 896 dated Sept. 6, 1968 and No. 845 018 dated July 25, 1969. Theknown means involves the use of pulsating pipes into which gaseouspulses are alternately directed, preferably by means of a static fluidflip-flop acting on a continuous inflow.

The invention relates to a novel application of the afore-mentionedknown means to mass separation.

The mass separation in question appears to be due to the very abruptaccelerations and decelerations to which the molecules in the fluidmixture are repeatedly subjected as a result of the pulsatory phenomenaproduced in the pulsating pipes. A compression wave may accelerate themolecules by amounts of the order of to 10 m/sec/sec. Owing to theirinertia, light molecules and heavy molecules acquire different speedsand are consequently classified; a fluid enriched with the heavyconstituent is collected at the inlet of the pulsating pipes and a fluidenriched with the light constituent is collected at the outlet.

The following exemplary non-Iimitative description and accompanyingdrawing will clearly show how the invention can be put into practice.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating theapplication of the invention and showing a separation stage;

FIG. 2 shows a more elaborate device for working the invention and is across-section along the line IIII of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section along the line III-III of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a partial view on a larger scale.

In the diagram in FIG. 1, a continuous flow of a gaseous mixture arrivesvia a conduit A at a nozzle B which by means of a static fluid flip-flopC alternately guides the flow into the first or second of two pipes DDso that pulsatory phenomena occur in the pipes. A sampling chamber E isdisposed upstream of the pipes and sampling chambers F-F are disposeddownstream of the pipes.

It is found that the fluid G sampled in chamber E is enriched with theheavy constituent, whereas the fluid H sampled in the chamber F-F isenriched with the light constituent, compared with the proportionscontained in the fluid introduced through conduit 1. The relativeenrichment can be gradually increased by connecting a number ofseparation stages as shown in FIG. 1 in cascade.

The applicants have made tests on fluids such as air, which wasseparated into oxygen and nitrogen, and argon, which was separated intoisotope 36 and isotope 40. The results show relative enrichments of afew tenths per cent per stage, an appreciable figure in view of thesimplicity of the installation.

Higher yields can be obtained with more elaborate means such as thosedescribed in the afore-mentioned US. Pat. application No. 845 018 andshown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The device shown in FIGS. 24 comprises an injector l supplied with gasunder pressure by a pipe 2 and having a rectangular nozzle 3 having asmall width e and height h. The compressed gas travelling through thenozzle forms a sonic stream in a chamber 4 which is bounded oppositenozzle 3 by the inlet orifices 5 of a group of receiving tubes 6.Orifices 5 are likewise rectangular and have a height h and width e;they are disposed side by side in an arc centred on the axis XX ofinjector l and are separated by sharp edges 7. Tubes 8 forming the group6 extend fanwise and each have a portion 8a which has the samerectangular shape as orifice 5 and is connected to a portion 8b ofcircular crosssection which terminates at 80.

Two pilot circuits 9, 10 disposed one on each side of injector I have anopening 11 which terminates in chamber 4 and is separated from nozzle 3by a common wall 3a and from the chamber outlet opening 12 by a wall 13having a sharp edge 14. Each 'pilot circuit comprises a tube 15connected to opening 11 at one end and to a chamber 16 at the other endand formed with a constriction 17. A tube 18 extending from each outletopening 12 is used for sampling the gas enriched with the heavyconstituent in chamber 4.

When tube 2 is supplied with a mixture of compressed gas, the streamejected through nozzle 3 into chamber 4 oscillates between two extremepositions diagrammatically shown at 19 and 20, at a frequency imposed bythe pilot circuits 9, 10. As it oscillates, the stream sweeps the inletorifices 5 and produces bursts in tubes 8 so that the gas molecules areclassified by mass in the manner already described. A fraction enrichedwith the heavy product is collected at outputs 12 and tubes 18, whereasa fraction enriched with the light products is collected at the outlet8c of tubes 8.

Preferably the number of tubes 8 is odd so that the stream is morelikely to become unstable and start oscillating.

Edges 14 together with injector wall 3a form the inlets of resonators 9,10. The position of edges 14 with respect to the injector and thereceiving orifices 5 has a critical effect on the start of oscillationsby the stream and on its extreme positions 19, 20.

We claim:

1. The process of separating a gaseous mixture into its constituents bythe use of a pipe system comprising a plurality of pipes in parallel,each of said pipes having an inlet and an outlet, comprising the stepsof delivering pulses of said gaseous mixture to said plurality of pipesof said system through the inlets thereof towards the outlets thereof,collecting a mixture enriched with heavier constituent near said inlets,and collecting a mixture enriched with lighter constituent near saidoutlets.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said pipe system comprises a pluralityof pipes in parallel with juxtaposed inlets, said process comprising thestep of controllably deflecting a continuous flow of said gaseousmixture so as to sweep successively said juxtaposed inlets.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,748,826 Dated July 31, 1973 Inventor(s) Philippe Albert Hip JolyteMARCHAL ET AL It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading, [75] Inventors:, "Georges Mordchelles Regnier" shouldread Georges Mordchelles-Regnier In the heading, [73] Assigneey'Entreprise de Recherches et D'Activities Petrolieres-ELF" should readEntreprise de Recherches et D'Activites Petrolieres-ELF Signed andsealed this 30th day of July 197 p.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON, JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Attesti g Officer Commissioner ofPatents :ORM po'wso USCOMM-DC scan-Poo U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICEl9! 0-366-334.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said pipe system comprises a pluralityof pipes in parallel with juxtaposed inlets, said process comprising thestep of controllably deflecting a continuous flow of said gaseousmixture so as to sweep successively said juxtaposed inlets.